Japan is facing a severe labour shortage due to its shrinking population, and many are hoping that artificial intelligence (AI) can help fill the gap. The country’s population has been falling for 13 years, and its labour force is expected to decline by 12% from 2022 to 2040. To tackle this issue, some companies are turning to AI for solutions.
Eat&Holdings, the parent firm of Osaka Ohsho, a popular Japanese dumpling brand, has introduced AI-powered cameras in its factory to detect faulty gyoza on the production line. This has increased efficiency and reduced manpower by almost 30%. The company has also launched an AI-powered cooking robot called I-Robo at one of its Tokyo restaurants to help with the labour shortage.
Farming is one of the fastest-ageing industries in Japan, with the average age of a Japanese farmer now standing at 68.4 years. AI is being used to identify diseases, pests, and weeds for early detection and prevention. Nihon Nohyaku has developed a smartphone app called Nichino AI that can diagnose crop problems and recommend pesticides.
A start-up called Equmenopolis has developed an AI-powered online tool that allows students to practice English conversations with its avatar. The tool has been introduced at 50 schools across the country and has been shown to be efficient in improving students’ speaking skills.
The government is also experimenting with AI, using chatbots to help with administrative tasks such as transcribing and summarising meetings. This has saved a significant amount of time and effort, and the government is exploring how to use AI to improve public administration.
While AI may help increase the efficiency of the workforce, it is nowhere near ready to replace human workers. However, Japan is embracing the power of AI with less reluctance than others, and it may hold the key to solving the country’s labour shortage problem.